What you need to know
- Blood Pressure monitoring is finally rolling out on Galaxy Watches ranging from the Watch 4 to the Watch 8 series.
- Users can monitor for sudden, potentially dangerous changes in their blood pressure; however, an upper arm cuff will be required to calibrate your Galaxy Watch every 28 days.
- Samsung says this feature is rolling out for U.S. users today (Mar 31) in a phased rollout, meaning everyone won't see it at the same time.
Your blood pressure is incredibly important to your heart health, and now Samsung's Galaxy Watches can help you keep an eye on it.
This has been expected for a long time. Samsung announced this morning (Mar 31) that it's rolling out Blood Pressure monitoring for U.S. users on "select" Galaxy Watches. Samsung has highlighted its Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic as devices with "advanced sensor technology and AI-powered experiences." Its fine print adds that this feature is rolling out on watches ranging from the Galaxy Watch 4 to the latest 2025 models, covering more users. The post states the Blood Pressure monitoring feature "calibrates blood values and blood pressure changes" to estimate your number.
However, Samsung informs consumers that they will need an upper arm cuff (sold separately) to calibrate their Galaxy Watch "every 28 days."
The company says Blood Pressure monitoring aims to give users information to better decide what might be best for their lifestyle. While this isn't intended as a true diagnosis of high blood pressure, users might feel inclined to bring up their latest readings with their doctor. As expected, your blood pressure data will be stored in the Samsung Health app. After a reading is taken, users can "review" their data and see what it might mean, similar to the blurb you'll get after an ECG.
Samsung's Blood Pressure monitoring is rolling out today on the Galaxy Watch 4 up to the Galaxy Watch 8. Users shouldn't expect it all at once, as the post says it'll be a "phased rollout" beginning March 31. It seems that the Watch 8 series might get it first, but still keep your eyes peeled for an update, regardless of model.
Let's take it seriously
Blood Pressure monitoring isn't anything new to South Korean users, and it's not really new for U.S. folks either. The latter just never got it. We can go all the way back to 2020, when Samsung rolled this out for the Galaxy Watch Active (remember that?). The press release revealed this health-forward feature for South Korea, and at the time, there was nothing on a global release. We can then jump to 2023 when another feature, sleep apnea, was announced—for South Korea, too.
Sleep apnea and irregular heart rhythm tracking have since arrived on Galaxy Watches in the U.S. What's been holding things up has been FDA approval. Samsung could cross the other two features off, and now it can do the same for its blood pressure monitoring.
Android Central's Take
Blood Pressure monitoring has been such a long-awaited feature, for myself included. It's a handy feature that required (I suppose) rigorous understanding by the FDA. None of these features on a smart watch or a tracker are meant to be treated as a true diagnosis. You need your doctor for that. But, at the very least, they offer a nice nudge about what's going on with you—good or bad. It's good to at least see what's happening. And, if I need to take action, let me do so with some knowledge in my back pocket.
